Wilting
by kisshuismylife
Summary: Basically, Lettuce is sad because she thinks Pai doesn't like her. I'm hoping people will R&R, despite the bad summary.


**Wilting**

Lettuce had about had it with the battle for Earth. She knew she was in love with Pai, and she also knew the fighting was just wrong. While originally she had had a crush on her boss Ryou, that had died pretty quickly after it became clear that he was obsessed with killing the Cyniclons. Lettuce never wanted to kill them, and hurting them hurt her too. She knew she wasn't really cut out for Café work from the start, but after a while, she realized that the fighting wasn't good for her state of mental health. The Cyniclons, she knew, weren't really that different from her people, and they were originally from the same planet. Why couldn't they just get along?

But deep down, Lettuce knew that the others would never listen to her; she had tried in the past to convince her teammates that forming a truce would benefit both parties, but the answer was always the same, and it was always Ryou saying something about how the Cyniclons were heartless monsters with no remorse who would never form a truce.

Lettuce noticed after the fifth time she asked that the other girls seemed to see her point, but like her, they still obeyed Ryou. As time went on, Lettuce began to get sad. She noticed Pudding and Ichigo having similar feelings, especially after Ichigo's boyfriend Aoyama decided he'd rather not date an 'unpopular freak' as he put it. And aside from Ryou, everyone could see Pudding and Taruto were well on their way to becoming a couple. Lettuce envied Ichigo sometimes; she knew the other girl's growing feelings for Kisshu were more than returned, but she didn't think Pai had feelings for her at all.

She was happy for both Ichigo and Kisshu when they started dating in secret, and swore never to tell, but she was still sad; she would have liked to do that with Pai.

Though she thought no one would notice her sadness about Pai, she was wrong. It was pretty obvious to Kisshu and Ichigo, and the two of them started brainstorming a plan to get Pai out of denial, and fast.

This planning was put on hold when Ichigo got this sinking feeling in her heart while she and Kisshu were planning. "Kisshu, go get Lettuce," she said.

"Why?" Kisshu asked, puzzled.

"I feel like something's wrong," Ichigo said. "I can't explain it; can you go get her?"

"On it," Kisshu said, and teleported out.

He found Lettuce standing at the edge of a rooftop, and watched as she looked up. He watched her face fall when she saw it was him, and then she said, "Hi Kisshu-san. What's up?"

"Ichigo sent me to get you; she said something was wrong," Kisshu said. He held out a hand, and asked, "Will you come with me?"

"Where are we going?" Lettuce asked.

"Ichigo's room first, and we'll see from there," Kisshu said. "We should at least reassure her that you didn't do what I think you were about to do when I got here."

Lettuce sighed and took Kisshu's hand, and he teleported back to Ichigo's room. Ichigo jumped up when they teleported in and immediately asked, "Lettuce, are you okay?"

"I guess," Lettuce said. "I'm still alive, if that's what you're asking."

Kisshu sighed and said, "We're going somewhere else now. Koneko-chan, grab on."

Ichigo grabbed Kisshu's free hand; he was still holding Lettuce's hand, and then Kisshu teleported them to a large bedroom. Lettuce was puzzled, and asked, "Why are we in someone's bedroom?"

"Look at the wall behind you," Kisshu said, pointing.

Lettuce looked, and her jaw dropped. The ENTIRE wall was plastered in drawings and photos of her, in both human and Mew forms. Floor-to-ceiling, nothing but pictures of her. "That's why I brought you here," Kisshu said. "This is Pai's room, and that wall is the only visible proof I have to show you that he's completely obsessed with you. Aside from the fifty Mew Lettuce plushies over there." He pointed to another wall, which was shelf after shelf of stuffed animals. The middle shelf was all Mew Lettuce plushies, though. Kisshu sighed and said, "Pai does love you, but you've seen how he is; he has a really hard time showing his feelings, and part of it is probably that he's not sure how you feel. He really doesn't have any common sense, or he would have noticed that the reason you keep looking at him every time you see him, and the reason that you only talk to him in battle, is that you love him."

"He loves me?" Lettuce asked softly.

"Yes," Kisshu said. "He didn't at first, but you interested him from the first time you met, and that feeling started to grow into love. He was just unsure of how to tell you, so he didn't. Judging by today, though, I'd say he should have confessed months ago."

"How do you know all this?" Lettuce asked.

"My talent is heightened perception; it's easy to read people, and I've known Pai all my life; we're cousins," Kisshu said. "He's also the best friend I've ever had."

"That's great…." Lettuce said. "What's Pai's talent?"

"Heightened intelligence," Kisshu said. "Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that he has common sense, so I'm basically the sole reason he's still alive. You would not BELIEVE how many times I've had to save his skin."

Lettuce giggled. "Where is he?" she asked.

"Probably in his lab, or he'd be in here yelling at me," Kisshu said. "Either that or he's in the kitchen."

A loud alarm went off, and Ichigo said dryly, "I'd guess the kitchen."

Kisshu sighed and teleported the girls to the kitchen, which was rather smoky, due to a fire Pai was trying to put out. He finally managed to get the fire to go out, and turned to see Kisshu glaring at him. "I just wanted to make eggs…." he said sulkily.

"I'll let you off easy this time," Kisshu said. "Especially since I think you have a confession to make. I really don't want a repeat of stopping Lettuce from jumping off a building, so be a good zombie and confess."

Pai managed to ignore the zombie comment, and looked at Lettuce, then asked softly, "Lettuce, were you really going to kill yourself?"

Kisshu teleported out with Ichigo as Lettuce said, "I was contemplating it; I don't like fighting, and I like fighting you even less. And seeing Ichigo and Kisshu get together was hard for me, even though I was happy for them."

"I'm sorry," Pai said. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I just didn't really know how to tell you that I love you."

"As long as you love me, I'm happy," Lettuce said. "I love you, Pai."

Pai smiled (yes, he actually smiled!) and pulled Lettuce into his arms. As she looked up at him, he bent down and kissed her. She happily kissed him back.

**I KNOW it's too short, but I wanted to at least try a PaixLettuce one-shot, so I hope you liked it, and I hope it was in character. Review please!**


End file.
